


Under You...

by youweremyworstx



Category: Original Work
Genre: F/M, Love, Nick jonas - Freeform, Romance, Selena Gomez - Freeform, nick and selena - Freeform, nick x selena - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-15
Updated: 2016-07-21
Packaged: 2018-07-15 06:22:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 11,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7211489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/youweremyworstx/pseuds/youweremyworstx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's a classic story. Girl meets boy, girl and boy fall hard and fast for each other...The only problem is that boy is engaged to girl's best friend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. What Was His Name?

_“You’re out of here early tonight Lena,”_ Marla, a woman who in Lena’s opinion had to be in her late thirties, and had clearly been in…this place of work for her entire life.

“Yeah, remember I have that party to go to.” The brunette said with a weak smile, peeking out of the curtains hoping to catch any glimpse of...him. But all she saw was a sea of random guys holding out their bills, hoping to entice the new girl to give them a private show.

 _“Oh you mean your snobby rich friend’s engagement thing, yeah yeah I remember.”_ Marla said, placing her hand on Lena’s shoulder, knocking her back into reality.

“Come on Marls she is not that bad, she’s just not used to this place is all.” Lena attempted to be polite, although- she knew that Marla did have a point. Taking to her dressing mirror, Lena did her very best to wipe off the glitter residue on her cheeks.

 _“When she came in here she wouldn’t even sit down.”_ The elderly woman said flatly. Lena ignored her, changing out of the silk nighty from her routine and into an elegant black silk dress, which flared out slightly at her upper thighs. Looking at herself in the mirror, Lena couldn’t help but laugh.

She sure cleaned up nice, for a stripper. _“Well I just hope your boyfriend doesn’t show up tonight and you’re not here.”_ The woman called, as her name was announced over the speakers, it was her turn.

The thought of the boy showing up and she not being there made her heart ache, but he hadn’t been there in a few nights, and he hadn’t answered her calls in days…She just knew that it was over, but- she stupidly still had hope. “I’ll see you tomorrow!” Lena called out, grabbing her bag and heading out the backdoor.

The cold New York air hit her like a ton of bricks, as she rushed to get a cab and head to the Upper East Side.

Lena Torres wasn’t exactly the classic sad story, like most of the girls who worked at The Pretty Kitty were. She had a great childhood. Her parents worked hard to support her and her older brothers. But, when her mom got sick things got tight. Lena had dreamed of being a ballerina from the time she was young, she would watch ballets on PBS until the late hours, and begged relentlessly to take lessons, until finally her parents agreed. She worked hard to be great, she took any lesson she could and dreamed of someday going to the American Ballet Academy. She was sixteen when her mom passed away, and she knew that with her dad being the only working one in the family if she wanted to get to New York, she had to work. For the next three years she picked up multiple jobs; hosting, dog walking, even parking cars in her small suburb Texas town, until she had enough for her first year of schooling. The day after graduation, Lena made the move. She began her first term at the school, but she soon realized paying for classes and her small apartment…She wasn’t going to be able to cut it. The one friend Lena had made at the college was Olivia. Olivia was the exact opposite of Lena. She grew up in Manhattan, always had everything she ever wanted. She was a beautiful dancer, and somehow in all of their differences, Lena and she became great friends. So much so that Olivia begged Lena to let her father pay for her schooling, which he offered happily. But the girl knew she had to do this herself. It was after dropping out of school Lena found the club, determined to find a job and save enough money to pay for school on her own.

“Thank you,” Lena mumbled to the cab driver, handing him her fare as they parked in front of Olivia’s father’s building. Lena passed by the doorman and into the marble palace, taking the elevator to what else- The Penthouse.

Entering the party, the brunette felt instantly out of place, as she always did at anything Olivia ever invited her to.

She always wondered if people could see it, as it was so obvious to her.

Olivia’s eyes instantly locked in on the girl, her long red dress shifting as she ran to Lena. _“I’m so glad you came!!!!”_ She giggled, of course showing off the large rock on her left finger.

“I couldn’t miss this.” She smiled, gladly accepting the glass of champagne as the caterer offered his tray.

 _“So- enough talk about me.”_ Olivia said, an arch in her brow. _“What about this guy??”_ She asked, and almost instantly Lena regretted ever saying anything about him, especially now that she had so clearly been ditched.

“I don’t know it’s no big deal.” She shrugged, trying very hard to get the subject off of her. “I haven’t even talked to him for a while, so I guess it’s just over.” Lena whispered, downing the rest of the alcohol in her glass.

_“I doubt it, the way you talked about him, how sweet and sexy he was. He was crazy about you- I mean he had to be to…”_

“To come and watch me take off my clothes every night right?” Lena cut the girl off, a bit rudely- but she knew where the conversation was going.

It couldn’t be that serious with anyone who knew what she did for a living, at least that’s what she thought.

 _“Lena I didn’t mean it like that…I just know that you’re so much better than that place, I just know you can do better than that.”_ Olivia placed her shoulder onto Lena’s, who at this time wasn’t exactly listening, mostly because it wasn’t anything she hadn’t heard before.

“Anyways, you never even told me his name what was it again?” Olivia asked, a comfortable smile plastered on her face as she caught another glance at her ring.

“It was Ni-“

 _“Nick!!!!”_ Olivia now cut Lena off, as her eyes found the man of the hour, the fiancé.

Lena’s eyes looked up from her empty glass, and she was sure her jaw just dropped the floor.

This wasn’t happening.

Suddenly her face began growing hot, the boy whose light grey tux fit snugly around all the right parts of his body. His curly hair tucked nicely. He was gorgeous. He was breathtaking.

He was also the guy Lena had been sleeping with for months now.

Lena felt as though she was going to be sick.

His eyes locked in on hers, and she thought she would just drop dead right there.

 _“Nicky this is Lena, Lena this is my fiancé.”_ Olivia smiled, lacing her fingertips into Nick’s, who had been silent since he saw the two girls before his eyes.

“Nick.” Lena said flatly, extending her hand.

Ignoring the electricity that coursed through her body as they made an awful attempt at a first meeting, as his chocolate brown orbs melted into hers.


	2. Second Chance at First Impressions...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick and Lena are thrown together again, only this time Nick will quickly learn that Lena won't be very forgiving.

The moment that Nick turned to see where Olivia had called him from he swore he could literally feel his world crashing beneath him.

There she was.

The way her black dress fit so perfectly around the curves he had admired so many times, the girl he had been trying so desperately to just forget, had come back into his life...at his engagement party...to another woman.

  
_"Fuck."_ He muttered, downing the glass of whiskey he had been sipping on. He hesitantly made his way over to the two women in his life. The hurt and anger was so clearly written all over Lena's face, and despite the look of apparent hatred on her face, he still couldn't believe just how beautiful she was.

Olivia's words went completely in one and ear and out the other, all he could focus on was her before him. The moment Lena ran out; not being able to stand the sight of him, a sharp pain hit his heart, and he would give anything to just run after her and pull her into his arms...but he had to remind himself, she wasn't his...

A sigh of relief rushed over him as his fiancé asked him so sweetly to go after her friend. _"Sure babe."_ He said giving her a warm smile and placing a soft kiss against her cheek.

He stepped out onto the balcony and couldn't help but think the air was quite like the night they had first met. He could see Lena, hands placed on the railing of the balcony, and even from feet away he could see the tears rolling down her gorgeous face.

  
_"Hi..."_ He said, clearly interrupting her from the thought she was in. 

"Hi?" She scoffed, shaking her head, completely unable to look him in the eyes. "I guess it's safe to say your name was the only honest thing you ever told me."

The thought that she had of him broke his heart.

She thought of him as a piece of shit cheater who had just been trying to get laid, he could see it just looking at her- and she was right about him being a cheater, but the other stuff...it was more, it had always been more.

  
_"Lena."_ He whispered, taking another step towards her, causing her to take one step further.

The thought of him even touching her made her sick.

"Don't!" She said through clenched teeth. "You don't get to touch me. You don't ever get to touch me again. That's why you just ditched me right? You proposed to her and just figured you'd never have to see the whore you'd been hooking up with ever again, right? Right?!" She did her best to keep her voice down, but the anger coursing through her veins was making it incredibly difficult.

  
_"No no I swear to god Lena please.."_ His voice cracked. He wasn't prepared to explain himself, because truthfully, what could he say that would explain how he was feeling? 

He had been trying so hard to be a good guy. To be faithful to Olivia, who was a sweet, good girl- he tried so hard to just forget about Lena, to tell himself that it was just nerves that made him do the things he did, but just looking at her...the way the wind was blowing her deep chocolate brown hair away from the most soft and supple lips he had ever seen, he knew that he had been lying to everyone, including himself. She was here before him, and she was everything.

"I-I trusted you." Lena whispered, her voice breaking as she shook her head, hating the fact that he had caused such a reaction out of her. "All this time I thought how lucky I was...how you didn't take me on dates because that just wasn't our thing, that we had some connection that was more than just screwing...it was all bullshit." She finally said, attempting to push past him, but he quickly reached his hand out to grip her wrist firmly.

_"It wasn't bullshit...it isn't. This, you and me...it's real, it's always been real."_ He spoke, the way she talked made him angry.

How could she not know how he felt?

"Let go of me. Your fiancé is waiting." She choked on the last word. Knowing that not only had he shattered her, but now he was forcing her to keep a secret from the only real friend she had. The thought of what this might do to Olivia if she knew, crushed her.

_"Please please just say you'll talk to me. I can explain it to you, I swear."_ He couldn't end it like this. He couldn't just say goodbye knowing that she hated him.

"There's no need to explain it. It's over." And with that, Lena broke free of the grip he had on her. 

Excusing herself from the party, Lena made her way back to the apartment, the walls filled with memories of him that were all tampered and destroyed now. 

She quickly pulled her dress off and turned the water on her bathtub, the hottest water she could stand. She just wanted to wash all of this away, wash away every inch of him on her skin.

Dipping a foot on, Lena sighed as a pounding knock sounded from her front door. Most likely her next door neighbor complaining about her using all of the hot water, again.

"Rosemary I said I was sorry a million-" Lena spoke as she opened the door. She was soon unpleasantly surprised as standing at her front door was Nick, still in his tux that was now missing his coat and the tie had been pulled loose.

_"Please don't shut the door."_ He said grabbing it, as Lena tried to slam it on his face.

"What are you doing here." She asked flatly, no explanations in the world would be enough to make it right. 

_"I-I don't know..."_ He admitted. _"But I do know that I needed to see you. I needed to tell you that it wasn't all for nothing. I needed to tell you that I am so in love with you that I am here, pissing Olivia...and my father off. Basically risking my entire future just to tell you that."_ He pleaded.

"Well I hate to tell you that you're wasting your time because I am not some homewrecker that you can come and screw whenever you're feeling bored with your perfect life." She said, trying her best to just get him to leave. 

_"You hate me and I get that, you have every right to. But I couldn't live with myself if you thought for one second that you were just a good time for me. You were more, you are more. I need you to understand that when I met you, I was not looking for you...you'll never speak to me again...I get that- but I need you to know you are the best thing that has ever walked into my life. All the pressure, and all the bullshit in my life. You are the most certain part of me."_ His words were honest, as he hoped that even if she hated him for the rest of her life, she knew that he had loved her.

She was speechless. It was everything any person could ever want to hear from someone they loved. But it was coming from someone who betrayed her trust so badly...that she couldn't forgive.

"Just go home Nick. Please." She whispered, tears once again falling from her eyes.

He nodded, and with that he placed a kiss on her forehead, and without another word he did as she asked.


	3. Say It...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena would like nothing more than to just stay away from Nick all together, but being the Maid of Honor at his wedding, avoiding him isn't such an easy task.

Lena sat in her bathtub for so long that by the time she got out, the water was absolutely glacial. Her mind was racing a million miles a minute and she so badly just wanted it all to stop.

  
_'I love you.'_ His words filled her mind and even though she hated him for what he had done...

 

She loved him too.

 

She hated herself for it. He was Olivia's fiance, and he had hurt her so badly, she would give anything not to feel the way she did.

 

After changing into a pair of pajamas, Lena stared blankly at the ceiling of her bedroom, feeling awful for ignoring her calls, as she was certain they were from Olivia.

 

After the ringing finally stopped, she grabbed the phone off the nightstand and browsing through her text messages.

 

_"L- I know you're hurting but just remember someday you'll find someone like I have! Remember tomorrow morning at 9 am 10th and Madison at the flower shop! Xx"_

 

Lena laughed at the bit about her finding someone as great as Olivia thought Nick was...if only she knew. 

 

The next morning Lena woke with a pounding headache, which she soon shook off as she would have to put on a bright and happy facade in front of Olivia.

 

She tied her hair into a messy top bun and changed into a dusty pink skater skirt with a pair of tights underneath to keep the cold air from freezing her to death.

 

Lena threw on a pair of ankle booties and a matching pea coat before grabbing her bag and heading to catch a cab to meet her friend. She refused to let any of it get to her, at least that's what she was going to tell herself.

 

Life however, had other plans for Lena as when her cab stopped in front of the flower market, who else was there to greet her but Olivia - and Nick.

 

"What the fuck..." She mumbled under her breath, before thanking the driver and handing him her fare.

 

  
_"Good morning sleepy head!"_ Olivia giggled greeting Lena with a cup of tea. _"English breakfast two sugars, one cream- your favorite!"_ The girl smiled, Lena put on her best smile in an attempt to thank her.

 

  
_"She likes two creams one sugar."_ Nick said clearing his voice, causing Lena's eyes to widen, mortified.

 

  
_"T-that's what I got for you last night when you came back in remember?"_ He quickly added, the worst attempt at a save he had ever seen.

 

"Thank you Liv this is perfect." Lena retorted, the warmth from the tea making the frigid wind a bit more bearable.

 

A few minutes into the walk Olivia was rambling on about hydrangeas and peonies, Lena had zoned out the moment they entered, she didn't want to do this, and the fact that she could feel Nick practically staring a hole through her wasn't helping. 

 

  
_"What do you think Lena?"_ Olivia asked, holding up an orchid almost taller than her. 

 

'So tacky,' Lena thought, to herself of course.

 

  
_"Don't you think it's maybe a bit much?"_ Nick jumped in, breaking the silence as Lena tried to think of a way to not sound rude.

 

"I think maybe you should go more simple." She finally admitted, the anger which washed over Olivia's face made Lena regret saying anything at all.

 

  
_"What do you mean simple???"_ She asked, an accusing tone in her voice causing Lena's cheeks to redden.

 

"I-I don't know Liv. I just think that it's your special day. It should be about you and the person you love, it should be simple because it isn't about how big your flowers are or how many rhinestones you can attach to a completely overpriced gown. It should be about the moment you see him at the end of that aisle and you know that as long as you love each other that nothing will matter..." Lena took a deep breath.

 

Screwing the fiancé and disagreeing with the bride, she was officially the worst Maid of Honor of all time.

 

She hated to admit the jealousy she felt. Olivia never had to want for anything. She had been raised with a silver spoon in her mouth and now, now she got Nick. 

 

Of course she got Nick. Girls like Lena never stood a chance to girls like Olivia.

 

  
_"Oh Lena...you wouldn't understand. Trust me when you find someone as amazing as I did you'll know what it feels like."_ Olivia said with a smile, putting the flower back into its vase.

 

Lena couldn't deny the pain she felt as she listened to the girl who was going to marry the boy she loved.

 

After that Lena just nodded to anything Olivia had to say, too afraid of having to hear about how lucky Olivia was or that if Lena was lucky enough that she may find someone just as special as Olivia's fiancé was.

 

She didn't want someone just as wonderful. She knew deep down... She wanted him.

 

Olivia's phone began to ring and she excused herself, leaving Nick and Lena once again in the most awkward of situations.

 

  
_"I think you're right by the way."_ Nick whispered as he walked by Lena who was knelt down smelling a pot of daisies. 

 

"About?" She asked, and for the first time since before she found out the truth, she allowed her eyes to meet with his. Completely ignoring the pounding going on in her chest as she found herself lost in his deep chocolate brown orbs.

 

  
_"The wedding. It should be simple. It should be about you and your person. That's what I would want."_ He shrugged, a small smirk on his lips.

 

"Then I guess you should tell that to the girl you want to marry then." She spoke sharply, obviously referring to Olivia.

 

  
_"I believe I just did."_ He whispered back, the most serious of expressions on his face.

 

Suddenly, Olivia came rushing back to the pair, completely panicked and rambling like a mad woman.

 

Lena shook his words out of her head, they didn't mean anything...not while he was engaged to another woman.

 

  
_"M-my dress- the designer just called and said there's been a mistake in the length of the train and I-I have to go!"_ She yelled loud enough that surely everyone in the store could have heard.

 

"Go Liv, I can finalize all of the flowers. I know what you want and it's one less thing you have to worry about later on." Lena volunteered, desperate to get away from the both of them.

 

  
_"I'll help her."_ Nick chimed in, _"then we can stop by the tux shop to finish my fitting, it will be perfect babe, that's what your Maid of Honor is for right?"_ He smiled, Olivia fell for everything he said, complete putty in his hands.

 

Lena rolled her eyes, both annoyed...and excited to get to spend the day with him.

 

After Olivia left, the pair of them walked in silence, every so often she would nod at one of the suggestions he made. Truthfully not giving a fuck what kind of flowers hung on the church pews. 

 

  
_"This is weird."_ He said matter of factually.

 

"What seeing me in the day time or with all of my clothes on?" She said, giving him the most sarcastic of smiles.

 

  
_"Nah there was that time with the nurse costume, that counts as clothes... and I'm sure there's been a time or two in the morning before..."_ He smirked back, causing her to give him a disgusted glare.

 

  
_"But seriously...the silence. If I'm quiet for even five minutes around Olivia she thinks I'm mad at her or wants to know what's on my mind. You, you never ask that. We can just be."_ He shrugged, as they finished placing the order for the flowers and making their way out of the shop.

 

"Maybe it's because I don't care what goes on in that twisted head of yours." Lena replied, as the two of them crossed the busy crosswalk and started to head towards where his tux was, she assumed.

 

  
_"I think it's because you already know. I don't have to say anything and you just know..."_ His voice was considerably softer, and for a moment Lena thought of saying something, but she refused to allow herself to be vulnerable to him again. 

 

Instead, she stayed quiet. 

 

The walk to the designer of his tux was a short one, and pretty soon Lena was walking around the store aimlessly, brushing her hands over the different kind of fabrics, admiring the different colors of ties.

 

  
_"What do you think?"_ Nick asked, interrupting her from her current thought and causing her to turn around to face him.

 

The tux was fairly simple. Black, white shirt, black tie. What it meant, made Lena feel sick inside all over again. It was like she was finding out the truth for the first time again.

 

It was killing her. 

 

"It's perfect." She said before quickly pushing by him and excusing herself to the bathroom.

 

She stood at the sink staring at herself, wondering just how she had gotten into such a twisted mess.

 

There was a knock on the door as she splashed some water on her face. She didn't want to open it, she knew who it was and he was the last person she wanted to see.

 

  
_"Lena let me in."_ He said firmly, and she reluctantly agreed. She couldn't exactly just stand around in there all day. 

 

Unlocking the door she attempted to get out, but Nick stepped in before she could, and closed the door behind her.

 

  
_"Say it."_ He said, his jaw tightened, and his eyes stared intensely into her own.

 

"I don't know what you're talking about." She whimpered, avoiding his gaze and staring down at the floor. The distance between them was entirely too close for comfort. 

 

  
_"You know exactly what I'm talking about. I know it and you know it to. Please..."_ His voice softened, his finger grazed underneath her chin, bringing her closer to him.

 

"Don't marry her." She finally said. The weight of the words felt like a ton of bricks had been pulled off of her chest.

 

She said it, and now she couldn't take it back. 

 

Without another word his lips crashed into hers, kissing her with so much passion that Lena felt her body weaken at his embrace.


	4. No Happy Endings...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena is trying desperately to avoid facing her feelings for Nick, however a moment of weakness has made it all the more difficult.

  
After a few moments, the kiss was over but Nick held Lena close to him, his fingertips brushing over her cheeks making her feel like once again it was only them in the world.

 

However, as she looked down at the tux he was going to marry her best friend in, reality came crashing back to her.

 

There was no them.

 

"I-I didn't mean that." She said shaking her head and pushing him away. 

 

  
_"You're lying."_ He said flatly, able to clearly see through her and the lie she was trying so hard to believe herself. _"You're in love with me too and I can see it. Even now when you hate me, you love me Lena."_  


 

His words angered her. They were true, yes but how could he just assume with such confidence? He hurt her, so much that she couldn't believe that she was able to stand the sight of him let alone kiss him. "So what?" She snapped back, crossing her arms over her chest and tapping her foot, hoping he would let her out of the bathroom he had barricaded them in. "I love you Nick, okay? Is that what you want to hear? Seeing you with her it's killing me. Walking around like everything is fine and dandy and seeing you in this stupid fucking tuxedo is making me sick, and you know what? It makes no fucking difference either way because either way you marry her. There's no happy ending for me so what the fuck does any of it matter?" Her voice cracked as she finished her rant, finishing off with a sigh of relief.

 

  
_"It matters because I want to be with you."_ He said, his voice almost defeated. He hated knowing he was the cause of all of this pain.

 

"Do you love her?" She asked, almost afraid of the answer.

 

  
_"I don't love her in the way I love you. You have to understand that."_ He admitted.

 

"How fucking special I feel. You have good sex with me and you spend your life with her. How would you expect me to understand that? I don't understand any of this..." She couldn't help but laugh, how she ever thought any of this would work out was beyond her.

 

  
_"Stop saying that!"_ He yelled, scaring her slightly. She had seen him angry before, but nothing like this.

 

Nick collected himself, a loud sigh escaping his lips. _"I just need you to realize how hard this is for me."_  


 

_What?_

 

Hard for him? This was hard for him. It was then she realized just how spoiled he truly was. It wasn't his fault, but it still caused the most annoyed of expressions to form on her face.

 

"I'm sorry this is hard for you. Now please tell me what part is hard? The part where you marry a beautiful rich girl and get everything you want handed to you on a silver platter or the one where you spend your life missing the fun you had with the stripper you fucked a few times." She hissed. She knew none of what she was saying was true. She knew Nick was a good person, deep down. She knew that what they had was more then sex. But it sure felt a lot easier to let him go if she hated him.

 

  
_"Let's get lunch."_ He said through a tense jaw, ignoring what she had said completely. Without another word he left the restroom and went to change back into his normal clothes.

 

The whole way all he could think was that arguing with her would be the death of him...and he didn't mind it. He couldn't help but notice how the most pleasant of conversations with Olivia was far worse then the worst of arguments he had with Lena.

 

In comparison to Lena...Olivia could never measure up.

 

After Lena made her way out of the bathroom, Nick was already waiting for her. "I'm not hungry." She mumbled, wanting nothing more than to just go back to her apartment and not see him.

 

  
_"Yeah well I don't really care."_ He shot back, holding the door open for her as they walked down the block to a small cafe.

 

They sat in silence as Lena picked at a cranberry muffin he had put down in front of her.

 

  
_"Tell me how to fix this."_ He spoke, whispering as he was afraid of someone hearing.

 

"Nick there's no fixing anything okay? You should be with Olivia. That's really all there is to it." Her eyes met with his as she slid the plate away from her. 

 

  
_"Not even an hour ago you told me not to marry her and now-"_ he began, but she wasn't willing to give him the chance to finish.

 

"I know what I said. I meant it Nick I did but what happens after huh? You introduce me to your father as the stripper who broke up your marriage to the daughter of one of the richest men in Manhattan? It's never going to work. You and I, we're just too different. And Olivia is sweet and beautiful and she won't argue with you. She won't ever make you do that clenched teeth thing. She won't ever drive you crazy. She's better than me, and I know it Nick. No matter how much I don't want it to be true. It just is. Lets just get real here."

 

  
_"You know you're probably right. Olivia is sweet and beautiful and she probably won't ever drive me fucking crazy like you do...but what's the point of that? I don't want to live my life in uncomfortable silence Lena..."_ His voice was saddened, as if he were searching for her to say something that would magically make this all disappear. The simple fact was. There was no way out.

 

"Why did you propose to her then?" She finally asked. "You were with me before you got engaged so why now? If I hadn't shown up to your engagement party can you honestly tell me you wouldn't just have forgotten all about me?" She was afraid of his answer, but she felt that she needed to know.

 

  
_"I wanted to."_ He answered truthfully, recalling the last night they had spent together.

 

****FLASHBACK****

 

_"Are you tired?" Nick whispered, as Lena shut her eyes, resting her head as she always did on his chest._

 

_"I don't want to sleep." She whispered back, her hand tracing small circles on his bare chest. She didn't even need to open her eyes to see the small smile on his lips._

 

_"Why not?" He asked, rubbing her black slowly as she got closer to him._

 

_The truth was Lena didn't want to sleep was because when she did, Nick usually left her sometime as the sun was coming up. Then it was back to reality._

 

_"I don't want it to be over." She whispered, slowly drifting off. Exhausted from the day._

 

_"Me neither." He whispered, kissing the top of her head and watching her fall asleep, the beauty before him made him feel so weak._

 

_The peaceful expression on her face as she slept pained him._

 

_Little did she know that after tonight everything was going to change.  
_

 

_No matter how much he didn't want it to._

 

****END OF FLASHBACK****

 

 

_"I knew that I had to end it. But I knew that if I saw you one more time then I wouldn't be able to. I wanted to forget about you and you have no idea what not seeing you did to me...but then you showed up last night and it was like fate all over again."_

 

Fate, the word he just loved to throw around. 

 

"And what if it isn't fate? What if it's just us being punished for what we've done. For what I've done?" She asked, truly hoping he would have some sort of miracle answer for her.

 

  
_"You and I are not a mistake Lena. If I know anything it's that."_ He licked his lips, ready to slide his fingers into her own, when his phone began to buzz, Olivia's face lighting up the screen.

 

"There's fate for you." She said dryly.

 

Not long after he hung up the phone, Olivia was walking through the door, a smile on her face.

 

"Crisis averted?" Lena asked standing to gather her purse.

 

  
_"Yes thank God I would have died if the train was anything less than amazing."_ The girl sat down on the chair Lena had just stood up from, kissing Nick quickly before she stole the muffin on his plate.

 

How perfect they were she thought to herself.

 

"Good I'm glad. I've got to get going though I've got some errands to run before work." Lena said giving the girl a quick kiss on the cheek.

 

  
_"I'll see you, later."_ Nick said to her as she went to leave, his emphasis on the word 'later' worried her the whole way home.


	5. Your Five Year Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick and Lena find themselves in the same place it all began. Fate or punishment?

Lena truthfully had plenty of hours before she needed to get ready for work, but the thought of Nick and Olivia together was just too much.

She made her way back to the apartment and decided she needed to pass out for a while, and thankfully she was so exhausted from the sleepless night before, she fell asleep until the sun went down and it was time to get ready for work.

The club was already packed by the time she got in for the night. The men in the room disgusted her, but she knew she needed the money and it was a bit too late to decide on a career change at the moment.

It was pajama night, which was really just a disgusting excuse for all the perverts in the room to feel okay about fantasizing about younger girls.

_"Please welcome the beautiful Latina Lena to the stage!"_ The announcer called out as Lena peeked a toe out of the curtain. She was numb to what she was doing, trying desperately just get the night over with so she could go home.

She slowly slid the strap of her red teddy off and the crowd went wild, she crawled on her knees, allowing an older gentlemen to slide a hundred under the thin string of her panties.

As she turned, the man took a hold of her ankle, causing her to fall back on the floor, landing hard on her knees. It was all a little blurry to her as the stage lights were blinding until suddenly there was Nick again. He rushed to her defense, and punched the man square in the face so hard that his grip on Lena's leg was released. Security soon rushed in to pull the man, and Nick alike out of the club.

Lena got back to the dressing rooms and changed as quickly as she could, rushing out front to find Nick waiting, just where he had been the first night they met. His face was reddened and it was clear that security had roughed him up.

"Nick.." She said, worried as she came closer to him, pressing a light hand to the side of his face. His wincing made a pain hit her like a ton of bricks.

The hold he had on her made it so hard to breathe, so hard to focus on anything. And the fact that he was hurt, made her hurt.

"You're hurt." She said, stating the obvious, and she couldn't even fight the feelings she had for him. She needed to feel him, make sure that he was okay. A pounding sensation was filling her mind like firecrackers going off between her ears.

"Take me home." She whispered, her eyes meeting with his, and they both knew what the other meant.

By the time they made it back to her place, Nick's hands were moving under her coat, desperate to feel her skin against his own. She so was hungry for him, and no matter how wrong it was she wanted him.

"I need you." She whimpered as he slid her body against the wall, slamming the front door with his foot, never taking his hands off of her body. They both hurriedly ripped her clothes off, and barely got his pants around his ankles. He slid himself slowly into her and made love to her in the living room from behind. His name rolled off her tongue into a moan as he slammed himself inside of her, they were both moving so hard that it didn't take long for either of them to get their fill of what they both had been starving for.

Afterwards, Lena started a bath for the two of them.

She allowed him to climb in first and she soon followed, positioning herself in front of him and resting her body onto his, so her back was resting on his chest.

"Do me a favor." She said running a washcloth over her legs.

_"I believe I already did...twice actually."_ He chuckled, wincing at the pain in his face.

"I'm serious!" She said with a smile in her voice, turning to face him and pressing the cloth lightly against his darkened eye.

"I want you to think about your life 5 years from now. I want you to think about everything, what you'll be doing, where you'll live. I want everything. The best day in your dream life. Shoot." She said, the expression on his face suddenly going deep in thought which made her giggle as she now rested her body at the opposite end of the tub, wanting to see him.

He was silent for a good moment and he suddenly sat his head up to look at her. _"Texas."_ He finally said, causing Lena's brow to raise.

Her home state.

_"I want to run my own firm. Nothing too big, I just want to help people that really need it. I want to work hard in my firm and then come to my house. It would be a big blue house with a porch that wraps around the entire thing. I want to be in the country with wildflowers and maybe a dog."_ He spoke, excited at the thought.

She however, couldn't help but notice that there was no mention of Olivia, or her for that matter.

"That's all?" She asked, no emotion in her voice whatsoever.

_"Then there's you of course."_ He added, _"you're so beautiful with our little girl. She's got my curly hair but your big brown eyes and your teaching her ballet on the porch, waiting for me to come home. That would be my dream...you and me."_ He smiled, as did she and she came closer, her lips pressing against his forehead.

They got out of the bath and made their way back into the bedroom, both exhausted from the day they'd had.

"What are we going to do?" She asked, as the worry somehow crept back into her mind.

_"We have to tell her."_ He whispered so matter of factly before drifting off to what looked to be the most peaceful slumber he'd had in some time.

"Just tell her." She whispered, as he said as if it was so easy.

Lena had to really think about if loving him was worth losing her best friend over...and as she watched his chest move up and down, looking so devastatingly handsome as he slept...she knew what her answer was, she had always known.

It had always been him.

 

 

 


	6. What About What I Want?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena is once again at a crossroads with herself. She wants to be happy, but the thought of hurting everyone else is becoming too much.

The next morning, Lena was awoken by the blaring ring of a cell phone that was not her own. She shot up, seeing Nick beside her. He had slept there the whole night, for the first time. Normally he left her before the sun even came up, to ensure he got back home before his father woke up.

Once the ringing on his phone stopped, hers started, and for some stupid reason she answered it.

"Hello?" She said, hoping to hide the fact that she was completely mortified.

_"Lena! Nicholas' father called and told me he didn't come home last night. He isn't here! He's cheating on me!!!!"_ The girl was practically screaming, causing Lena to have to hold the phone away from her ear.

"I'm sure it's nothing." She spoke, no emotion in her voice as she looked down to Nick who was slowly beginning to wake up. She pressed a finger against the dark circle around his eye, laughing slightly as he winced.

_"How could you be laughing right now Lena?"_ Olivia asked, a slight crack in her voice.

"Liv please stop worrying I'm sure everything is fine." She said, and suddenly the guilty feeling came crawling back.

After a long talk of convincing Olivia that Nick was completely faithful to her she managed to get the girl off of her phone and nudged Nick a bit forcefully to wake him.

"You need to call her." She said, dryly as if suddenly everything they had said last night went out the window.

She was too afraid to tell the truth. Too afraid of what it might do to Olivia. Of what it might do to them- what if all this time it was the rush, the wanting what you couldn't have that was keeping them together.

_"I need to talk with my father first. He's going to flip the fuck out when I tell him."_ Nick said, sitting up and running a hand through his hair.

Could Lena really destroy a relationship with a father? Could she really be okay with that?

"Nick you should be with her." She said not bothering to look him in the eyes, knowing if she did she would be weak again, and she couldn't afford to be weak right now.

_"What?"_ He asked, his voice raising considerably as she got out of the bed to dress herself.

"It's the right thing to do Nick. You proposed to her, you gave her your word." She shrugged, trying to be so nonchalant when inside she felt like screaming.

_"I'm not marrying her. I want you. What about everything last night?"_ He said, getting up, his arm wrapping around her waist only for a moment before she pushed him away.

"Nick I love you, I love you so much. I love you so much that I'm willing to let you go and let you live the life you deserve." She had to. She knew if she didn't they would resent one another for it later.

_"Jesus Christ Lena. What do you want?"_ He shouted, his white shirt sliding over his head and ruffling his hair.

"I don't want to hurt anybody. Olivia, your father." Her voice cracked.

_"And what about you? What about me huh?! What about what I want. Cause I'm looking at it. Tell me what do you want?!!"_ He was yelling now, and Lena knew he was sick of the back and forth.

"I want you to go." She spoke, biting the inner corner of her cheek to avoid crying.

_"If I go, I'm not coming back Lena."_ He said, and by the tone of his voice- she knew he meant it.

She gave him a weak nod, and without another word he grabbed his coat and was gone.

Lena knew it was over, no matter how much she didn't want it to be. It had to be...

For the first time since being at the club, Lena called out sick, and ignored every other call that sounded from her phone.

It was nearly dark out and she hadn't left the bedroom, hadn't even bothered to turn on a light. She just stared at the ceiling, trying to ignore the scent of his cologne lingering on her sheets.

At a little after 9, Olivia called once again and Lena sighed, knowing she would have to talk to her eventually.

_"It's about time I thought you were dead!"_ The girl giggled on the other line, Lena tried to avoid Nick's voice in the background.

"I'm sorry I just wasn't feeling well." She said, not entirely lying.

_"Oh well I hope you're feeling better. Nick finally reappeared. He got mugged! Can you believe it! I'm just praying the black eye goes away by the wedding."_

"I'm sure you will both look beautiful." She replied, her voice hoarse.

_"I'm sure, but listen Lena I need a favor- I have an appointment in the morning to finalize the color on the centerpieces, and I stupidly scheduled my cake tasting with Nick at the same time- could you please go with him? You know I don't really care for sugar anyways and you'd be the best friend ever!"_ Olivia paused, as if Lena was just going to jump at the opportunity.

"Can't you just go with him and I can do the centerpieces? I mean it's kind of a special moment for you two right?" She prayed, hoping she would be able to change her mind.

_"I have to finalize the colors with the designer Lena, I can't tell in a picture blissful pink from shotgun Vegas wedding pink! Trust me, you'll understand when you get married."_ Her voice raised, and Lena agreed reluctantly.

"Fuck fuck fuck..." She mumbled, hanging up and instantly regretting answering the phone in the first place.

She knew what she had done, and she still felt it was the right thing to do, but she supposed she didn't expect to have to have it rubbed in her face the very next day.

Fate. She thought, laughing at the idea that somehow all of this had a point, that all of this pain had some meaning.

Somehow in the midst of her thoughts and her tears, she fell asleep for a few hours, just long enough to get up and dressed decent enough to seen in public, by the time she got to her hair she just left it in the messy curls it had been in since the day prior.

"You can do this." She mumbled as she stepped out of the cab, entering the small corner bakery to pick out a wedding cake with the person she loved, for a wedding that wasn't her own.

_"Lena is it?"_ A small British woman came out to the front of the shop, greeting Lena with a warm smile and showing her to the back where Nick was already waiting, not even bothering to look her in the eyes.

_"Alright loves now Olivia tells me you guys get along great so this shouldn't take long to come to a decision."_ The woman smiled, placing a plate of small cake pieces in front of them.

Truthfully, the thought of eating made her nauseous but she wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.

_"That one."_ Nick said as he chewed on a double chocolate layer cake with chocolate filing.

Lena scoffed, "too bad your fiancé hates chocolate." She said shaking her head, arms crossed over her chest.

_"Fine then that one."_ He said pointing to a white cake with hazelnut crumble.

"She's allergic to hazelnuts you idiot." She couldn't help but laugh at just how little he knew about the girl he was going to marry.

"You know what pick whatever damn cake you want. It's not like she'll even eat it anyways." She said, clearly annoyed.

_"Are you honestly being a bitch to me right now, like I did something to you?"_ Nick asked, ensuring that the woman running the shop was not around.

"I do recall you proposing to her after me. I may have finished it but trust me Nick this is your fault. I was the only one responsible enough to know it had to end." She shot back, admittedly holding quite the grudge.

_"Oh please like I had a choice. But you know what, you did you had a choice and you didn't choose me. You wanted me to hate you Lena, congratulations you got your wish. I hate you."_ With that, Nick stood telling the woman at the front that they were going to go with a white cake with strawberries on the top.

Lena didn't even bother to mention that Olivia hated strawberries and thought they were tacky for a wedding.

She just sat there the words he had just spat at her ran wildly through her mind.

 


	7. What's Next, Lena?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena and Nick haven't talked in months, so when Lena accepts an invitation to attend a family party it's safe to say things will be...interesting.

After the day at the bakery, Lena did everything she could to get out of anything related to the wedding, anything she thought Nick might show up to. She did it so much that the months leading up to the wedding turned into weeks, and she hadn't spoke with him once.

He didn't call, and he didn't show up to the club or to her apartment. He never made any surprise appearances when she and Olivia were looking over tablecloths or finalizing the venue. He was always conveniently busy, but Lena knew the truth.

She filled her days with anything to avoid thinking about him, or to avoid thinking about much of anything. She began taking a few dance classes in small studios, she caught up on so much reading that she was going insane. Her nights were spent at the club, working every night, covering for girls that called out any time she could. A part of her was always secretly hoping that he would show up...but he never did.

_"Lena promise me you'll be there- you've been so flaky these days and I could really use my best friend to make sure our families keep the peace."_ Olivia's voice like so many other times was in a begging tone.

Olivia was planning a large dinner for both she and Nick's families prior to the actual rehearsal dinner, and to say Lena felt as though she didn't belong was the understatement of the century.

"Uh sure." She reluctantly agreed, furrowing her brows as she did so.

The night of the party, Lena stared into her mirror, she had to admit getting herself dressed up helped, if only a little.

She wore a white strapless dress that hugged her body tightly and cut off just above her ankles, she paired it with a pair of sandal styled heels and her hair was done in a slightly messy fishtail braid. She didn't know why she cared (even though deep down she knew it was because she wanted to look good for him.)

She stood at the door to Olivia's father's penthouse for what must have been 10 minutes before finally mustering the courage to knock. She was greeted by Olivia who was wearing a dark navy gown that suddenly made Lena feel like the ugly stepsister in Cinderella.

_"I'm so so glad you're here!"_ Olivia cooed, pulling the girl into her embrace and they were soon joined by Olivia's father who had always been very sweet to Lena.

As they stepped further into the home, Lena declined a glass of champagne, from one of the waiters passing by, but as she looked to tell him no she could see Nick from the corner of his eye.

He was standing near the bar, wearing a dark navy suit which of course matched Olivia's, and she had to admit...he looked happy, and it stung.

He was talking and laughing with his father, and the two looked to be truly enjoying the others 's company. Lena knew that if she allowed him to go through with telling the truth, that would all end. She knew his father would never accept her, and she had to be okay with it.

Soon, they were all seated for dinner, Lena and Olivia's father sat across from Nick and Olivia, and his father. Neither Nick or his father said much during the meal, it was hard to do so around Olivia and her father, both of whom loved to be the center of conversation.

_"You guys truly need to see Lena perform, she is just beautiful, one of the most beautiful ballerinas I've ever had the pleasure of seeing."_ Lena blushed, hating the way this conversation was turning. _"Tell me, what's in store for you now? Liv told me you're thinking of going back home?"_ He asked, causing Nick's eyes to dart in her direction, waiting for her answer.

"Yes sir." She replied, trying her best to make the best of the situation, as she didn't really have any other choice.

"Austin actually. I performed a couple of Summer's there when I was little, and their production manager offered me a lead choreographer job so I think that's what's best for me right now." She smiled, taking a small sip of water and looking in Nick's direction, the happy expression on his face now long gone.

_"It's going to be amazing Lena."_ Olivia assured her, causing Nick to turn his attention to his fiancé, his expression turned angry. _"You knew?"_ He spat in an accusing tone.

_"U-h yes, Lena told me a few weeks ago."_ She spoke, clearly confused by his anger.

_"You just never mentioned it."_ He said lowly, an attempt to shake it off. However, the redness in his cheeks was showing Lena that he clearly was not okay with it.

_"When will you be leaving Lena?"_ Olivia's father coughed, trying to get the tension out of the room.

"Um the night of the wedding, I'll leave just after the ceremony so I can be there by the end of the weekend." She spoke to Olivia's father, however she was looking at Nick.

She didn't think she could bare to get through the ceremony, let alone see them at their reception. It would have killed her.

_"Excuse me."_ Nick said, tossing his napkin onto his plate and exiting down the hall to the restroom.

Some time passed and Nick had not yet returned from the restroom. Olivia was clearly upset by what had happened and she didn't understand what she had done.

"Liv I'm sure he's just stressed out about the wedding and school, everything is okay."

_"You don't get it. For the last couple of months he just gets so angry at me and he disappears. I can't talk to him. Can you do it please Lena I'm begging just go check on him."_ Olivia asked, placing her hand on Lena's shoulder, making her feel so guilty she couldn't tell her no.

Lena made her way down the long marble hallway to find Nick had gone into the guest bathroom, and after knocking at least a hundred times and telling him who it was, he opened the door.

His coat was tossed into the floor and he sat in the bathtub, unable to meet his eyes with hers.

She was leaving him. After everything she was leaving. How could he make it through without her? He was marrying Olivia, he was living the life she wanted him to- and now he wouldn't even be able to watch her from afar. He felt like he was suffocating.

"Nick..." She whispered, sitting on the edge of the tub and reaching her hand out to touch his cheek, but he avoided it.

"I can't watch you with her." She admitted, "I can't watch you marry her, move into your own house with her, I can't stand the thought of you and her having a baby...even the thought the of two of you sleeping next to each other, it just hurts and I know you hate me-"

_"I couldn't ever hate you."_ He cut her off, the sound of his voice more defeated and sad then Lena had ever heard.

"But you said..." She spoke, referring to the morning he left her.

_"I was scared. I was losing you and I didn't know what to say. Lena you can't leave. I have to be able to see you."_ His eyes filled with tears and he was pleading so desperately with her.

_"I can't imagine not being able to see you, or touch you or kiss you."_ His voice broke.

"I have to go." She whispered, tears swelling in her eyes as she pressed her lips to his forehead and leaving the bathroom.

She knew where this would lead if she didn't, and she wouldn't allow that to happen ever again.


	8. Everything Else...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Olivia and Nick's Big Day. Will Lena really stand by and let him marry the wrong girl?

  
_"It's me."_ Lena's heart stopped as she listened to Nick's voice on her voicemail.

 

  
_"I'm at the rehearsal dinner and it just feels so wrong Lena. I look at Olivia and she's so beautiful that I feel I should so feel lucky, but I feel so empty. I see all these people around us so full of joy and excitement about the wedding but what about me Lena? When do I get to be excited about something? I'm begging you to tell me not to do this. Lena please just call me back."_ The message ended, and before she allowed a second thought about it, she deleted it.

 

It was the night before the wedding, it was too late. Her apartment was all packed up and tomorrow while she watched the love of her life marry her best friend, movers would be here taking everything away. This point in her life was over, and they both just had to deal with it.

 

Olivia was pissed that Lena didn't show up to the rehearsal dinner, and after tons of apologizing the girl agreed to forgive her, if only she came nearly four hours earlier then everyone else to help her with her vows before the big day.

 

The sun was just rising as Lena, who's hair was full of large curlers sat across from Olivia who had a notebook in her hand as she was getting her bridal massage.

 

  
_"I just don't know what to say."_ Olivia scoffed, taking a look at her friend, who had been silent since she arrived.

 

  
_"Hello??? You're supposed to be helping me here."_ The brunette waved her hand in the girl's face, bringing Lena back to reality.

 

"Why do you want to marry him?" Lena asked, in a slightly accusing manner.

 

  
_"Well he comes from a great family, he's gorgeous...he's so smart and passionate about following in his father's footsteps."_ Olivia said, causing Lena to almost throw up.

 

She didn't know a single thing about him.

 

"Yeah but I mean what about him? Like what about the look he gives you when you're trying to make him mad but he still can't help but smile. Or what about how he rubs your back before you fall asleep? What about the way that when you make love every time still feels like the first time." Lena spoke, trying so hard to find any reason that made her believe Nick and Olivia belonged together.

 

  
_"Sure just write all of that down for me."_ Olivia shrugged, causing her heart to break for what she had done.

 

She was telling him to marry a girl that didn't care one way or another about his happiness.

 

Soon enough, Lena was in her bridesmaid dress. It was a dusty blue color that in her opinion made her look like a cupcake. Her hair was in loose beachy curls and she had just enough makeup on that nobody would think she was hideous, but not too much that she made Olivia look ugly, according to the bride herself.

 

  
_"Hey Lena do you think you could check on the guys and let them know I'm running a little bit late? They're in the Jefferson suite, it's just upstairs."_ Olivia said as she sat, getting her makeup touched up for the hundredth time.

 

Lena, nodded. Her heart skipped a beat as she considered seeing Nick.

 

The door was opened by Joe, Nick's older brother who was clearly already a little tipsy. "I have a message for Nick from Liv. Top secret." She lied. 

 

Coming further into the room she could see it filled with Nick's groomsmen, all partially dressed in their suits, sipping on various alcoholic beverages straight from the bottle. In the midst of the chaos, she saw Nick. Her world stopped as she watched him, standing in front of the mirror, adjusting his bow tie, the most defeated of expressions on his face.

 

"Hi." She said, a slightly whispered voice, his eyes met with hers and she nearly lost it.

 

  
_"Hi."_ He replied taking in the sight of her, even now with tears in her eyes she was so gorgeous.

 

"Can I- uh have a minute?" She asked, motioning to the bedroom.

 

He quickly nodded, escorting her into the room and shutting the door behind them. He came towards her fast but she quickly stopped him.

 

"I want to hear your vows." She spoke confidently, trying to ignore the fact that she would give anything in the world to just kiss him and tell him it was all going to be alright.

 

  
_"What?"_ He asked, unsure of how to react.

 

"This morning I helped, and by helped I mean I wrote Olivia's vows for her. She couldn't tell me one actual reason that she wanted to be with you so before I do anything... I need to hear yours." She nodded, licking her lips nervously as she awaited his response. 

 

  
_"Joe spent this morning Googling cheesy love poems and turned them into vows."_ He finally admitted, giving her a puppy dog smile.

 

Without another word she pressed her lips to his, his body melding perfectly into hers.

 

"Don't marry her." She said between her kisses. He nodded, and before she could say anymore, the door opened. 

 

  
_"It's ti-"_ Nick's father walked in, causing the both of them to quickly jump apart.

 

  
_"Nick get your coat it's time. Lena I'm sure Olivia will be waiting for you."_ As Lena went to leave, Nick held his arm out in front of her, stopping her.

 

  
_"Nicholas,"_ His father said in a warning manner.

 

  
_"I'm not doing this."_ Nick replied a stern voice as Lena could see his jaw clench.

 

  
_"You're really going to give it all up for a good screw?"_ He spat back, and Lena had to admit the words hurt her more than she thought they would.

 

  
_"I don't want your life dad. I love this girl, I love her and I don't want to wake up one day hating myself for never telling her exactly how I felt. If being honest with you, and honest to myself makes you hate me...then I'm okay with that."_ He snapped back.

 

Nick's father laughed, sarcastically. _"You're one stupid kid. You've had everything handed to you your entire life. Tell me Nicholas how do you plan on finishing school? Huh?"_ Nick's expression darkened, he knew the man was right.

 

Lena bit the inner corner of her lip, trying to speak, but afraid.

 

"Me." She shot back, causing Nick to look at her slightly confused.

 

"I've been working every night for the last three years. It may not be enough for Columbia, but y-you could transfer. You could finish Nick and you don't need him." Her voice was pleading, the thought of him marrying Olivia just to be able to finish his dream, crushed her.

 

Nick's father shook his head. _"When you get bored don't you dare try to call me or your brothers. You're done here Nicholas. I promise you that."_ And without another word, the man left. Leaving Nick and Lena.

 

Together. 

 

They were silent for a long moment, and Lena began to fear that he made a mistake.

 

"What's next?" She asked in a slightly nervous tone.

 

  
_"Everything else."_ He replied, and for the first time without fear...He kissed her.


	9. What's Going On Up There?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to EVERYONE who took the time to read my story. Nick and Selena are a ship so close to my heart. This is definitely not the last you've seen of my work, I promise!

  
_"Say Nick you have a good weekend!"_ An older man called to Nick, as he made his was out of the front door of his work. A law firm in the middle of Austin. It wasn't his own firm, but hey - he had just finished law school a year and a half ago.

 

The drive to his home was a quiet one, once he got out of Austin, the tons of tourists and college kids that filled the streets disappeared and it was just wide open country.

 

He pulled up the house, smiling some to himself as he climbed out of his old Chevy truck.

 

It was everything he had ever wanted.

 

He and Lena had looked high and low all over Austin to find that perfect home for them, and perfect in their budget. It was on a whim that they had taken a drive out to an old farm that hadn't been taken care of in years.

 

"This is it." Lena said excitedly as they pulled up to what in Nick's opinion was a piece of crap. 

 

The house was an old white one, two stories with large blue shutters and a porch that wrapped around. The yard was filled with different kinds of wildflowers, but if you asked Nick, it was just a bunch of weeds and a whole lot of hard work.

 

"You just have to use your imagination." She said with a smile, the clear look of disdain all over his face.

 

They stepped inside the house, and the floor was all hardwood. The stairs made a creaking noise all the way up to the second level of the house, which hadn't been updated since the forties.

 

It took days, weeks even of convincing from Lena that this house was gonna be it for them, but he finally agreed.

 

For the next six months between school and Lena's work, the two of them stripped the house down completely, working room by room as their budget allowed.

 

As Nick stepped into their home, greeted by the smell of fresh flowers Lena had surely picked from the garden that morning, not even needing to guess which room she would be in.

 

  
_"How's my best girl?"_ Nick said in a whisper, greeting his wife.

 

"She's asleep." She replied with a soft smile, standing over the crib, staring at their little girl.

 

  
_"And how's the most beautiful mama in the world?"_ He asked, now waking further into the pink polka dotted room, a large 'E' for Emmy hanging over the crib.

 

"I missed you." She giggled as his lips danced across the nape of her neck.

 

Since the move to Austin, a lot has changed in Nick and Lena's world. Within six months they were married. It was a courthouse wedding, no huge diamond engagement rings or fancy parties after. It was just the two of them, small gold bands and a promise to love and cherish one another.

 

Lena was still working at the dance studio, but since the baby she had been taking some time off, which was perfect as Nick was quickly becoming one of the most sought after lawyers in the city.

 

Nick's father eventually reached out to the boy when news broke that Lena was pregnant, although Nick politely told his father to go fuck himself.

 

As for Olivia, she landed a Wall Street Investor and the two were married months after they began seeing one another. Lena attempted to reach out to her, only to receive no response. Lena wanted to apologize for hurting her friend, but the truth was she wasn't sorry about what had happened.

 

Looking down at their beautiful baby girl, and seeing the life they had made with one another. She couldn't ever think to trade it.

 

  
_"What's going on up there?"_ Nick asked as he guided Lena to the bedroom, undressing his suit as she slid her head onto the pillow, enjoying this rare moment of silence.

 

"I was just thinking." She trailed off, a crack in her voice.

 

  
_"Baby?"_ He asked, kneeling at her bedside. 

 

"I'm just so happy." She said, laughing at the pregnancy hormones that were still making her excessively emotional.

 

  
_"And that's exactly what you should be. Lena, I love you. I love you more and more everyday and I love the beautiful daughter you gave us, so just close your eyes because I'm never going anywhere. Not now, not ever."_ His gaze was so soft and sweet that as his lips pressed against her forehead, Lena was already drifting off.

 

_This was their little forever._


End file.
